Food security is a complex issue: limited resource households, distance to food markets and other barriers to securing adequate, safe and nutritious foods all combine to create a food landscape that may not be conducive to good health in our communities. Recent data from the Northern Colorado region suggest there is increasing need for food assistance from government, community and school programs. Data on food assistance, food stamps outlays, and reduced/free school lunch eligibility are consistent in illustrating increased need for programs to mitigate food insecurity during this economic downturn. Community gardens and efforts to "map" food assets are explored as new approaches to improve access to raw foods and appropriate food market outlets for those who might otherwise have their dietary choices constrained by what is readily available.
Colorado attitudes about food and agriculture includes a few key points: 1) There is broad-based agreement that agriculture is an important part of Colorado's economy, and its quality of life and serves the state well in providing safe food at a reasonable cost. 2) There are some minor differences in the strength of support and confidence between those who live or were raised on a farm and those without such background. 3) Agricultural production practices are generally believed to be usually necessary to feed the population and safe; however, this is one area where there is some level of disagreement among our citizens, particularly related to GMOs. 4) There appears to be a role for Colorado Department of Agriculture programs, information relayed through labels, produce calendars and contacts at food retail sites, and agritourism, so perhaps those educational options can be better coordinated in the future.
Colorado has had the lowest adult obesity rate in the U.S., but is worsening from its status a decade ago. Because of the perceived link between food access, behavior and consumption, exploring connections between the food system and health/nutrition is warranted. The region has shown only slight improvement in two indicators of improved health behaviors -consuming enough fruits and vegetables and adequate physical activity- and all improvements made were in Weld County. Given some limited improvement in health outcomes, and evidence that targeted community programming was effective in Weld county, there may be reason to consider food system issues in future public health discussions.
